Food processors, oftentimes referred to as blenders, are employed to mix or otherwise blend or process a wide variety of foods. In a typical blender, a container is provided with a blade assembly having a plurality of blades near the bottom thereof which are rotated by a motor situated in a base or pedestal on which the container is placed. The bottom of the container is typically formed flat with a regularly-shaped perimeter, for example, a square or a circle, and the blades are rotatable in the center of that regular configuration. As such, a wide variety of ingredients can be blended in these containers including hot liquids, cold liquids, and solids such as ice, fruits and the like.
The blending of most liquids is accomplished by the action of the rotating blades whereby the fluid is drawn down through the blades, generally near the center thereof. The fluid then returns to the main body of the container by passing upwardly through the gap between the circumferential tip of the blades and the perimeter of the container. Such is an acceptable flow path when dealing with non-viscous fluids; however, when dealing with viscous fluids, such as are prevalent in frozen drinks, for example, smoothies or the like, flow problems are created. Specifically with such fluids, recirculation a significant distance vertically above the blades is not accomplished and a fluid or ice bridge is formed above the blades. As a result, the blades are spinning in a pocket of air and blending is thwarted. When such occurs, the user must usually manually stir the fluid or otherwise break the bridge to force the ingredients down toward the blades. However, with many viscous fluids, the bridge will again form requiring further user intervention. The blending of viscous fluids without manual intervention thus remains a problem in the food processing art.